


Quintet

by Jestana



Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age II, Dragon Age: Origins, Dragon Age: Origins - Awakening
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Don't copy to another site, F/F, F/M, Multi, Polyamory, Polyamory Negotiations, Threesomes and Moresomes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-16
Updated: 2021-01-16
Packaged: 2021-03-14 10:07:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,482
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28793646
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jestana/pseuds/Jestana
Summary: The Champion of Kirkwall meets the Hero of Ferelden
Relationships: Female Hawke/Isabela, Zevran Arainai/Female Hawke/Isabela, Zevran Arainai/Female Hawke/Isabela/Leliana/Female Mahariel, Zevran Arainai/Isabela/Female Hawke/Leliana/Female Warden, Zevran Arainai/Isabela/Leliana/Female Mahariel, Zevran Arainai/Isabela/Leliana/Female Warden
Kudos: 1





	Quintet

**Author's Note:**

> I finally managed to play through Dragon Age II entirely and the order I met Zevran and Leliana got the wheels turning. Then I got the idea for Laina to accompany Leliana to Kirkwall and this was born.

"There you are! I began to wonder-- oh! Company." The strangely familiar voice had Maria and Isabela looking everywhere as they walked from the Chantry to Maria's home.

Leliana, who accompanied them, didn't seem to be confused, only requesting with a quietly fond smile, "Please show yourself, Laina. They're friends."

"Friends or _friends_ , Leli?" A lithe, slender figure emerged from the shadows, resolving into a Dalish woman with sandy blonde hair pulled back into two braids and bright blue eyes framed by a leaf-green tattoo.

Isabela smirked as Leliana hugged the newcomer tightly and kissed her cheek. "That remains to be seen, Laina."

"Let's go inside and discuss everything in a more comfortable setting," Maria suggested, belatedly remembering her current houseguest. "Umm..."

Her lover leaned over to whisper, "It'll be fine. _Trust_ me."

"I'm blaming you if this goes tits up," Maria warned her, unlocking the door and letting the others enter ahead of her.

As she closed and locked the door behind them, Zevran called, "About time you got home, Maria. I don't suppose--"

"Zev!" "Zevran!" The moment Zevran entered the entryway, Laina and Leliana all but pounced on him, nearly smothering him with their enthusiastic greeting.

Maria glanced at Isabela, taking note of her pleased little smile and the hint of wistfulness in her golden eyes. Quietly, she asked, "You knew?"

"I told you I _knew_ the Hero of Ferelden," Isabela reminded her with a chuckle as the other three took turns exchanging kisses. "Zev and Leliana joined in the fun, too." She winked. "The more the merrier, after all."

That startled Maria. Isabela had made it clear enough that she'd had dalliances with all three of their guests, but it hadn't occurred to her that she'd been with _all_ of them at once. "Four in a bed? That must've been a bit of a squeeze."

"That just made it more _fun_ ," Isabela told her with a playful smirk.

They turned when the Dalish woman approached, smiling sheepishly. "Sorry, I forgot to introduce myself: Laina Mahariel."

"The Hero of Ferelden," Isabela added, laughing when the other woman made a face. "Sorry, sweet thing, you can't escape it. This is Maria Hawke, the Champion of Kirkwall."

Maria offered her hand, trying not to stare. She'd heard stories about the Hero of Ferelden, but she wasn't sure how much to believe. "An honor to meet you, Warden Mahariel."

"Just Laina please," she requested, shaking Maria's hand. "It's a pleasure to meet you, too."

Amused, Maria began silently urging them towards the sitting room. "If that's the case, then please call me Maria. It'd be nice to hear my first name occasionally."

"I know the feeling." Laina chuckled, reaching for Zevran's hand once he'd moved to her side.

Taking her hand and brushing a kiss across the back, he asked, "What brings my lovely ladies to Kirkwall of all places?"

"I'm here on the Divine's behalf, as you probably already guessed," Leliana replied, taking Zevran's other hand.

While he nodded, Laina added, "I came here with Leli and heard my clan was camped not far from the city. While she was busy, I went to visit them, finally. Most everyone's still there, but the one person I'd most looked forward to seeing again has apparently left the clan."

"Really?" Leliana looked at Laina with a curious frown. "What happened to them?"

Laina shrugged as they all sat down. "Marethari didn't say, just that Merrill decided she was better off in the Kirkwall alienage than in the clan."

"Merrill?" Maria repeated, surprised by the familiar names. "You're from the Sabrae clan?"

The light blue eyes sharpened as Laina looked at Maria intently. "Yes, I am. Do you know Merrill? Is she all right?"

"She's a friend," Maria explained, glad to give Laina news that she wanted to hear. "I can take you to see her tomorrow if you like."

Laina nodded, smiling happily. "Yes, I would. Thank you, Maria."

"I did not know they were your clan, Amor," Zevran remarked with a chuckle. "It does explain why they were so helpful before Maria came along."

Leliana raised her eyebrows and asked him, "Just what did Laina's clan help you with, Zev?"

"The Crows discovered I survived their last attempt on my life," Zevran explained with an expressive roll of his eyes. "They decided to correct that and sent more assassins after me. Eventually, the leader, Nuncio, sent Maria after me because his people kept dying."

Maria nodded when the two women looked at her curiously. "Once Zevran explained the situation, I decided not to play his game and let Zevran go."

"The three of us, along with a couple friends, killed him and his remaining associates," Isabela finished the story.

Chuckling, Zevran added, "They invited me to stay here for a few days before I move on."

"I assume you haven't used the guest room," Leliana remarked dryly, looking amused.

Laina rolled her eyes, a smile twitching at her lips. "As if Isabela would pass up _any_ chance to sleep with her favorite assassin."

"There's plenty of room for three in my bed," Maria told them, relieved that the two women were taking the news as well as Zevran had said they would.

Isabela made a point of counting them. "I'm not sure five will fit."

" _Four_ barely fit in your bed on your ship," Laina reminded her with a laugh. "And that was the largest bed I'd ever seen."

Zevran laughed and kissed her cheek. "Maria's bed is about the same size as that one."

"If nothing else, it will be a lot of fun trying to fit all of us onto it," Leliana observed with a teasing smile.

Maria glanced at the other four. "Are we really going to do this?"

"You know me, Maria," Isabela answered promptly. "The more the merrier."

Zevran nodded, his eyes warm with amusement and fondness. "I will do my best."

"It has been some time since I've had so many bed partners, but I am willing," Leliana remarked after a moment's thought.

Laina looked nervous, but nodded. "I've never had this many partners, but I agree with Isabela: the more the merrier."

"That leaves you, Maria," Isabela told her, taking her hand and kissing the palm. "What do you say to five in a bed?"

She looked at the other four one last time, and then met Isabela's eyes. "I say yes."

*

In the end, Maria's bed wasn't _quite_ large enough for five people. Luckily, Orana kept the guest rooms clean and ready, so it was no problem for her three guests to sleep in one after they'd exhausted themselves. Maria woke up pleasantly sore the next morning, Isabela still nestled against her side and her mabari, Shamira, curled up at their feet. Smiling fondly, she brushed a light kiss across Isabela's cheek and carefully slid from the bed. Dressing quickly and quietly, Maria gave Shamira a good scratch between the ears and padded barefoot to the kitchen. Orana already had the coffee prepared and begun making breakfast. "Good morning, Orana. Did you see my note?"

"I did, Mistress Hawke," Orana replied, not looking up from her cooking. "I'm making enough for five people instead of three."

Nodding, Maria poured a cup of coffee for herself and sat down at the table in the dining area, savoring the quiet of the morning. It didn't last, of course. The first to disturb her quiet was Laina, who padded into the kitchen, also barefoot, and asked, "Coffee?"

"Over there," Maria told her, pointing to the machine with cups lined up beside it.

Walking over, she poured a cup for herself, and then joined Maria at the kitchen table. "So, Champion of Kirkwall, right? How'd that happen?"

"Dueled a Qunari Arishok to the death to keep him from taking Isabela away," Maria summarized before taking a calm sip of her coffee.

Laina stopped with her cup halfway to her lips. "You dueled a _Qunari_? To the death?"

"To keep him from taking Isabela to Par Vollen because she stole a relic from them," Maria supplied with a nod, amused by Laina's reaction.

She waited patiently as Laina took her delayed sip and swallowed. "Why didn't Isabela duel him herself? That's her thing, right?"

"He didn't consider her worthy of dueling him," she explained with a shrug. "I was, though, so I dueled him in her place."

Laina shook her head in disbelief. "The Qunari who traveled with me to help stop the Blight was a formidable warrior himself and he _answered_ to the Arishok."

"It wasn't easy to beat him, to be sure, but, well--" Pausing, Maria looked up to see Isabela lingering in the doorway and smiled fondly at her. "She was worth it."

Quickly crossing to Maria's side, Isabela cupped her face between her hands and kissed her soundly. When she lifted her head, Isabela muttered, "Still should've fought him myself. Besides, I brought the blasted relic back, didn't I?"

"Sorry to interrupt Mistress Hawke," Bodahn spoke up from the doorway. "But a couple of your friends are here to visit."

Handing her half-emptied cup to Isabela, Maria stood up and hurried into the entryway to see Anders and Merrill waiting for her. They turned at her arrival, the latter with a smile and the former with a concerned look. "Maria, I'm sorry to come so early--"

"Is there a Warden here?" Anders interrupted, fidgeting with his belt.

A soft, half-stifled gasp distracted them and they turned to see that Laina had followed Maria from the kitchen. She stared at Merrill with wide eyes, one hand pressed to her mouth. Looking back at Merrill, Maria was pleased to see a smile slowly lighting up her face. In short order, the two women crashed into each other in a delighted, tearful hug. "I've missed you so much, lethallan."

"I've missed you, too," Laina told Merrill, her smile fading the next moment. "I have to tell you: Tamlen is dead."

Merrill gripped Laina's arms tightly. "Dead? You're sure?"

"I-- He'd been tainted like me," Laina told her in a low voice. "He became a ghoul and eventually-- I-- he--"

As tears spilled down Laina's cheeks, Merrill gathered her into a tight hug. "Ir abelas, lethallan. I wish I'd been there for you."

"You're here now," Laina whispered, hugging her friend just as tightly.

The sound of footsteps on the stairs alerted Maria to the arrival of Zevran and Leliana on the scene. Both gazed at the two women with curiosity. Pressing a finger to her lips, Maria gestured for them to go into the kitchen. Snagging Anders' arm, she tugged him in that direction as well. Turning to Maria as the door shut behind them, Leliana asked, "Was that Laina's friend, Merrill?"

"Yes. Merrill has missed her," Maria confirmed, walking over to where Isabela had taken her seat and dropped a kiss on the top of her head.

Anders, pacing back and forth, asked, "Why is she here? Did she come to drag me--"

"Not everything is about you, Anders," Zevran told him shortly. "You've changed since Vigil's Keep and not for the better."

Glaring, Anders told him, "I'm tired of cages, Zevran, even the relative freedom I had as a Warden under Laina's command wasn't enough."

"Laina came to Kirkwall with me to visit her clan," Leliana informed him, her expression hard. "Of whom, Merrill was the one she most wished to see. Practically a sister from what she told Zevran and myself."

Anders visibly deflated, slowly sinking into a chair. "Oh. Right." He scrubbed his fingers through his hair. "I just-- Stroud might've told her after--"

"Stroud brought a new recruit, Anders," Laina responded from the doorway, her voice husky from crying, but firm. "He didn't even mention seeing you."

He nodded, his shoulders slumping. "That-- that's good. Thanks, Laina. I'll go now."

Following him from the room, Maria asked, "You don't even want to stay and visit with Laina for a bit?"

"Not right now, Maria," he replied, hesitating at the door. "Sensing and seeing her-- it brought back memories I don't want to get into right now."

"I understand." She kissed his cheek. "Be careful."

He smiled faintly at her. "I always am."

That said, he slipped out the door and into the early morning bustle of Hightown. Maria returned to the kitchen to find the others seated around the table with plates of food. She took her seat at Isabela's side and began to eat.

*

"Nate?" Laina called as they approached the human man once the last of the darkspawn had been dispatched. "Glad to see you've managed to survive."

He stared as the group approached him. "Laina? I thought you'd demanded a vacation from being the Warden Commander?"

"I had and I got my vacation, but your sister found me and Maria--" Laina gestured to Maria, who stood at her shoulder. "And asked us to look for you."

Nathaniel stared at Maria for a moment. "You're the Champion of Kirkwall, aren't you?" He raised his eyebrows when his gaze took in the rest of their group. "Zevran? Should have known you'd find Laina."

"Completely unintentional, my friend," Zevran replied with a chuckle.

Laina indicated their other companions, "Isabela, Merrill, and Varric, this is Nathaniel Howe."

"Delilah said you followed my expedition's route. Why?" Maria asked while they exchanged nods of acknowledgement.

He frowned at her, and then at Laina for a moment before his expression cleared. "Oh, right, this came up _after_ you left, Laina." Clearing his throat, he explained, "You went further into the Deep Roads than anyone believed possible. The First Warden himself ordered this investigation. Since Laina had insisted on taking a break, following your route fell to me." He gave a sheepish laugh, rubbing the back of his neck. "I was offered a generous share of the salvage, plus extra coin up front to discourage any... curiosity."

"It looks like you met heavy resistance," Laina observed, looking concerned. "I guess sparing the Architect didn't do us as many favors as we'd hoped."

He shook his head. "Sadly, no. Though, your 'allies' _had_ assured us these tunnels would still be mostly clear."

"Clearly, they were wrong," Laina remarked, arms folded across her chest. The moment Laina had put on her warden's uniform, she'd become a completely different person: professional and serious. The playful, teasing woman prior to that had disappeared, but Maria supposed that was part of becoming a Grey Warden.

Pushing those thoughts away, she asked, "Who is the Architect?"

"He was the first of the speaking and thinking darkspawn," Laina explained, scowling.

Nathaniel added, "Very dangerous. He spread his 'gift' to other darkspawn--the disciples. Fortunately, their numbers are few."

"They seem to know a great deal about darkspawn," Maria mused. "Are these allies dwarves?"

Laina shook her head. "No, not dwarves. It's... complicated."

"Let's just say we live in strange times," Nathaniel added with a shrug.

Maria nodded, letting that go in favor of something else that'd been bothering her, "I don't remember drawing anyone a map to the thaig. Who told you about it?"

"An unfortunate dwarf named Bartrand," Nathaniel replied, looking apologetic. "We weren't sure his information was reliable, but contacting you or Varric was deemed risky."

Varric piped up, his disbelief painfully obvious, "You trusted my turncoat of a brother, but thought talking to _us_ was risky? That's idiotic!"

"He makes a good point," Laina added, looking annoyed.

Nathaniel sighed. "We feared you might return if you learned of our interest in the thaig."

"We should let your sister know that you're fine," Maria suggested. She knew she'd want _her_ sister to know in this sort of situation.

Before she'd taken more than a step, Nathaniel countered, "I cannot leave now. When we were attacked, I was separated from the rest of my expedition. Some of them may yet live."

"Let me guess: we need to go deeper into the tunnels to rescue them?" Laina asked, sounding resigned even as she walked over to join him.

Following Laina over, Maria asked, "Who else could be alive?"

"Some Wardens survived the initial ambush," Nathaniel answered, glancing over his shoulder at them. "I think the dwarf we brought from Vigil's Keep survived..."

Laina picked up from him with a shrug. "But who still lives? Only the Creators know."

"We have survivors to find," Maria told them firmly. "Let's go."

As the two Grey Wardens led them further into the tunnels, bows up and arrows nocked, Maria heard Varric ask, "Do they do that often?"

"Sí, since they began working together," Zevran responded with a laugh. "Annoyed Velanna quite a lot as I recall."

Over her shoulder, Laina said, "She doesn't like that I work so well with a shem."

"We should move," Nathaniel interrupted. "Stay alert for darkspawn."

Maria rolled her eyes as she drew her bow and nocked an arrow. "Always am down here."

*

They found the dwarf Nathaniel had mentioned and sent him back the way they'd come before traveling deeper into the Deep Roads. Eventually, they encountered the last person Maria had expected to find: "Bethany? Is that really you?"

"Why would you come back here if you didn't have to?" Bethany asked, her demeanor checking Maria's initial impulse to rush forward and hug her little sister.

Nathaniel looked between the two of them curiously. "You know each other?"

"Fenedhis!" Laina exclaimed, looking between the two of them. "Why didn't I figure out the connection sooner?"

Bethany glanced at Laina with a raised eyebrow. "Why didn't you, Warden Commander?" Turning towards Nathaniel, she told him, "Maria is my sister."

"You don't look well, Bethany. Are you injured?" Since she wasn't sure Bethany would welcome a hug at the moment, Maria fell back on inquiring after her health.

She stared at Maria for several moments before responding gloomily, "Injured? I have the darkspawn taint forever in my veins, barely held in check by the Wardens' rituals."

"Would you prefer you'd died?" Laina snapped the words out, her expression harsh. "Or become a ghoul and forced your sister to kill you?"

Bethany seemed to shrink in on herself for a moment and shook her head. "No, you're right, Laina. I'm sorry, Maria. I know you did the best you could."

"I wish there'd been a better way," Maria told her quietly, reaching out to touch Bethany's arm.

Before anyone could say anything, Nathaniel told them, "We don't have time for this. The darkspawn approach."

"Fenedhis lasa," Laina snarled, drawing her bow and nocking an arrow.

Maria and Nathaniel did the same. Isabela and Zevran both drew their daggers and disappeared in puffs of smoke. Varric readied Bianca while Merrill and Bethany drew their staves. The fight that followed was the toughest Maria could remember. There seemed to be no end to the darkspawn. She fired arrow after arrow at them, even going so far as to pluck arrows from the corpses around her, careful not to touch the blood. Finally, the darkspawn stopped and Nathaniel looked around carefully. "For the first time since I've been down here, I don't sense a single darkspawn. We've won."

"The route to the surface should be safe now," Laina added, looking relieved and relaxed now.

A tiny smile twitched at the corner of Nathaniel's mouth. "Because of you, I will see my sister and nephew again. Please, take this with my blessing."

"Well, I'm not very good with swords, but I have a friend who might like it," Maria remarked, accepting the longsword Nathaniel offered her.

He inclined his head slightly and Laina told Maria, "I'm sorry we couldn't answer all your questions. Maybe we will when the time is right."

"Stay safe, Nathaniel, Laina," Maria told them, recognizing that it was time they resumed their proper Gray Warden duties.

Nathaniel bowed. "You as well."

"I'm glad to have met you, Maria," Laina told her, stretching up to kiss her cheek.

Zevran moved to Maria's other side and kissed that cheek. "Adiós, Maria. My place is at Laina's side for now."

"Take care, Zevran," Maria told him, kissing his cheek in return.

Once he'd moved to join Laina, who was saying farewell to Merrill, Bethany stepped up to Maria and stared at her for a couple moments before pulling her into a tight hug. "I miss you, Maria."

"I miss you, too," Maria whispered, returning the hug just as tightly. "Just-- don't die anytime soon, all right?"

Bethany gave a small, shaky laugh. "I'll do my best."

"All we can ask." Reluctantly, Maria let go of Bethany and watched her walk away with Laina, Zevran, and Nathaniel.

As she stood there, she felt Isabela move to her side and slip an arm through hers. "Your sister'll be fine. She's just as tough as you."

"Maker, I hope so." Sighing, Maria turned away and headed towards the exit they'd used.

**Author's Note:**

> In my head, Laina and Merrill were good friends, so they _needed_ to reuinte. After doing the quest to find Nathaniel, I couldn't resist bringing him into the fic, either. He recognized Zevran because Zev and Leliana both visited Vigil's Keep while Laina was there (separately _and_ together). Laina snapped at Bethany like that because, to her, it sounded like Bethany would have preferred Tamlen's fate to what she got in the end. In case anyone is curious, Laina's vallaslin is the simple version of Andruil's (thank goodness for mods).
> 
> **Elvhen Translations**
> 
> _Lethallan:_ Friend  
>  _Ir abelas, lethallan:_ I am sorry, (my) friend  
>  _Fenedhis:_ untranslated, a common curse (probably along the lines of dammit)  
>  _Fenedhis lasa:_ untranslated, a common curse (probably along the lines of goddammit)


End file.
